Best Community Colleges in Pennsylvania

Community college graduates in Pennsylvania prepare for lucrative local and regional jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2020, the state’s largest employment sectors included office and administrative support, transportation and material moving, and sales. In August 2021, the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington region ranked among the top 12 areas for job growth in the Mid-Atlantic and nationwide.

Community colleges in Pennsylvania feature programs tailored to the unique needs of the state’s workforce. Attending community college can qualify graduates for high-growth occupations, including positions as public safety telecommunicator, delivery driver, and insurance sales agent.

Explore the best community colleges in Pennsylvania below.

Pennsylvania’s focus on optimizing educational opportunities continues to pay off. Since 2019, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has raised nearly $1.5 billion in public funding for preK-through-college programs and invested $70 million in strengthening Pennsylvania’s workforce through the PAsmart initiative.

Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education enrolls nearly 94,000 students annually. Additionally, the state houses the nation’s oldest HBCU and boasts multiple top schools.

Pennsylvania is home to the nation’s sixth-largest economy, with a gross state product (GSP) of nearly $8 billion. The state relies on key industries like healthcare, banking, mining, and telecommunications to generate its GSP, with the highest job growth in dense urban areas and among occupations involving office and administrative services.

Pennsylvania houses 50 of the nation’s 1,000 largest companies by corporate sales records. Graduates of Pennsylvania’s technical and community colleges are highly sought-after by local employers, especially for administrative, transportation, sales, and trade jobs.

The average cost of living in Pennsylvania is slightly below the national average. It also has a much lower cost of living compared to nearby states like New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.

A relatively low cost of living can help community college students in Pennsylvania enjoy a higher quality of life. Pennsylvanians tend to pay less than the national average for healthcare, utilities, and entertainment. Savings on housing are also significant for both buyers and renters statewide. The average Pennsylvania home costs $60,000 less than the national average.

With a long history dating back to the colonial era, Pennsylvania is a melting pot of cultures and traditions. The state houses large Amish and Mennonite populations, primarily concentrated in Lancaster County. The Pennsylvania Dutch are renowned for their folk art and distinctive cuisine.

Pennsylvania also features two nationally recognized symphony orchestras and many fine art museums, including two of the oldest and most comprehensive collections in the United States. Philadelphia is home to a bustling cultural center and theater and performing arts district.

With a mean temperature of 48 degrees, Pennsylvania’s typical temperatures fluctuate between roughly 70 degrees in July and 28 degrees in January. The climate is most pleasant in the spring and summer months, when resident college students can enjoy outings on or around campus in Pennsylvania’s lush hills and farmlands.

Historically, Pennsylvania’s humid subtropical climate has benefited livestock, dairy, fruit, and corn farming.

Pennsylvania offers high-growth occupations in employment sectors including administrative support, transportation and material moving, and sales. The state’s community colleges serve the technical trades of the local workforce. Many workers gravitate toward urban city centers like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

The local workforce of more than 5.5 million enjoy a cost of living below the national average.According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Pennsylvanians earned an annual mean wage of $53,950 in May 2020 — slightly below the national mean wage of $56,310. However, the state unemployment rate of 5.7% was higher than the national rate of 4.2% as of November 2021.

Public safety communicators, including emergency dispatchers and 911 operators, provide a unique type of office and administrative support. These professionals answer emergency and nonemergency requests, determine the best course of action, and relay the information to first-responders for dispatch to the location. Jobs require at least a high school diploma and on-the-job training.

Receptionists answer phones; maintain appointments and calendars; and greet customers, clients, or patients. Receptionists in Pennsylvania and across the U.S. are especially important to the healthcare industry, where their duties are often expanded to include light medical record maintenance, patient check-ins, and scheduling.

Delivery and light truck drivers enjoy one of the highest-growth occupations in the transportation and material-moving sector in Pennsylvania. These professionals collect, transport, and deliver packages locally or regionally. Most workers in this category deliver items from warehouses or holding centers to small businesses or residential consumers.

Insurance sales agents help clients explore various types of insurance and sell policies aligned with their customers’ interests. They may specialize in selling one or more types of insurance, including property and casualty, life, and/or health and long-term policies. While most jobs require only a high school diploma, an associate or bachelor’s degree can improve job prospects.

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